FIRST PUBLISHED OCT. 15, 2014
Every late winter/early spring, the gathering begins — ideas of what to do with the grandchildren when they arrive the following summer! Let me emphasize that nothing is written in stone. Our summers together often unfold organically and we just let the days become what they will. Never have we accomplished every single activity or idea in the binder. Never. So please don’t create it with that goal in mind because it’s just not going to happen. Be very, very flexible when it comes to spending time with young children. They will often invent/create stuff that’s better than anything you could have put in the binder. That said, the categories I try to cover in mine include the following:
ACTIVITIES
ARTS
CRAFTS
CREATIVE THINKING
QUIET TIME
GAMES/EXERCISE
MUSIC
NATURE
TRIPS
FAITH
Each of these categories includes endless ideas gleaned from parenting magazines, library books, Internet research, family traditions and other parents/grandparents. I have listed a few activities beneath the main categories to give a general idea of where I’m going with my plans each summer.
ACTIVITIES
Fairy Garden
Genealogy Map
Peace Pole
Messterpiece (a messy, painted masterpiece we affectionately termed messterpiece)
ART
Famous Art Work Reproduction
Be an Art Detective
Mixed Media projects
Collages
CRAFTS
Glow-in-the-Dark Fairy Lights
Flat Marble Magnets
Mask Making
CREATIVE THINKING
Deep Thoughts
Discussing the Future
Round Robin stories
QUIET TIME
Movies
Books
Music
Embroidery
GAMES/EXERCISE
Swim
Soccer
Bocce
Telephone
MadLibs
MUSIC
Learn a new instrument
Introduce different musical genres
NATURE
Nature Museums
Walks/hikes on greenways, parks, trails
Pontoon boat rides on the lake
Visit beaches, forests, waterfalls
Zoo/Farm Trips
TRIPS
Plan a special trip (we’ve done D.C.; Wildwood, NJ; East Coast; Ohio) for an extended period of time.
FAITH
Devotion/Worship Service
Service Projects
MISC
Birthday Parties (both grandchildren were born in the summer, so we sometimes have a joint birthday party for the two of them)
My three-ring binder makes it so much easier for me to plan their visit. As I choose activities, I am also able to put together a list of materials and supplies we'll have to have on hand for them. For the old Girl Scout in me, it's all about being organized and prepared. I hope you find this idea helpful and encourage you to have a plan of your own making before your spend time with your grandchildren. It will make your time together less stressful when you're fully ready for their visit. I look forward to sharing details from time to time on some of the activities we've enjoyed together, so watch for those in future posts!
Grampy (my hubby) always encourages everyone to "Have fun!" instead of saying, "Goodbye," so because this is a blog about how to be fun grandparents, we will close with
"Have Fun!"
Dandy’s Binder: Things to Do, Places to Go, People to See
FIRST PUBLISHED OCT. 15, 2014
Every late winter/early spring, the gathering begins — ideas of what to do with the grandchildren when they arrive the following summer! Let me emphasize that nothing is written in stone. Our summers together often unfold organically and we just let the days become what they will. Never have we accomplished every single activity or idea in the binder. Never. So please don’t create it with that goal in mind because it’s just not going to happen. Be very, very flexible when it comes to spending time with young children. They will often invent/create stuff that’s better than anything you could have put in the binder. That said, the categories I try to cover in mine include the following:
ACTIVITIES
ARTS
CRAFTS
CREATIVE THINKING
QUIET TIME
GAMES/EXERCISE
MUSIC
NATURE
TRIPS
FAITH
Each of these categories includes endless ideas gleaned from parenting magazines, library books, Internet research, family traditions and other parents/grandparents. I have listed a few activities beneath the main categories to give a general idea of where I’m going with my plans each summer.
ACTIVITIES
Fairy Garden
Genealogy Map
Peace Pole
Messterpiece (a messy, painted masterpiece we affectionately termed messterpiece)
ART
Famous Art Work Reproduction
Be an Art Detective
Mixed Media projects
Collages
CRAFTS
Glow-in-the-Dark Fairy Lights
Flat Marble Magnets
Mask Making
CREATIVE THINKING
Deep Thoughts
Discussing the Future
Round Robin stories
QUIET TIME
Movies
Books
Music
Embroidery
GAMES/EXERCISE
Swim
Soccer
Bocce
Telephone
MadLibs
MUSIC
Learn a new instrument
Introduce different musical genres
NATURE
Nature Museums
Walks/hikes on greenways, parks, trails
Pontoon boat rides on the lake
Visit beaches, forests, waterfalls
Zoo/Farm Trips
TRIPS
Plan a special trip (we’ve done D.C.; Wildwood, NJ; East Coast; Ohio) for an extended period of time.
FAITH
Devotion/Worship Service
Service Projects
MISC
Birthday Parties (both grandchildren were born in the summer, so we sometimes have a joint birthday party for the two of them)
My three-ring binder makes it so much easier for me to plan their visit. As I choose activities, I am also able to put together a list of materials and supplies we'll have to have on hand for them. For the old Girl Scout in me, it's all about being organized and prepared. I hope you find this idea helpful and encourage you to have a plan of your own making before your spend time with your grandchildren. It will make your time together less stressful when you're fully ready for their visit. I look forward to sharing details from time to time on some of the activities we've enjoyed together, so watch for those in future posts!
Grampy (my hubby) always encourages everyone to "Have fun!" instead of saying, "Goodbye," so because this is a blog about how to be fun grandparents, we will close with
"Have Fun!"